"You can't tell me a duck hunter is enjoying himself when he has to stare out at Clorox bottles"

Jeff Reardon

Jeff Reardon

Well-known member
My friend Peter and I introduced a new duck hunter to the sport on Casco Bay this morning. He's a long-time deer hunter, and after a slow morning that had 4 or 5 small bunches of black ducks take good looks at our decoy spread--and single black duck actually drop into the stool and come home with us--he announced: "That was more action than I've had in 4 years of deer hunting!" I can't wait to get him out on a good day.

We ended up moving and making a second set-up when the falling tide pushed us out of the upper part of the marsh, and as he was lugging a bag of heavy, wet, LL Bean Coastal Magnums through clam flat mud, racing the falling tide that was about to strand the boat, he asked: "Why do you guys hunt cork decoys? Wouldn't plastic be easier?"

Which stimulated a good discussion of the traditions of duck hunting on Casco Bay, home to George Soule, the decoy master for LL Bean. That conversation and a bald eagle trading back and forth between a tall pine on the island we were sitting on and another on the mainland across from us kept us entertained on our second--duckless--set.

So here's a 1968 classic from Sports Illustrated, featuring George Soule, the good marketing for which LL Bean has always been famous, magnum black duck decoys, and my favorite late season gunning grounds.

The closing quote from Mr. Soule:


"Anyway, it's bad enough on those bluebird days when nothing is flying but marlinspikes [mergansers]. It's worse when conditions are perfect, except that the blacks sail along a mile high without so much as a courteous glance at your tollers. At such times, we hunt partridge in the puckerbrush behind the blind, or dig a mess of soft-shell clams on the mud flats and steam them up. Or we just sit in the blind, talking to the dog and looking out at the tollers. You can't tell me a duck hunter is enjoying himself when he has to stare out at Clorox bottles, laundry bags or mud patties."
​


https://vault.si.com/...piper-from-down-east
 
PS Check out the original layout for some photos of Soule, his decoys, and black ducks on the bay. Pages 36-39.
https://vault.si.com/vault/40686#&gid=ci0258be315060278a&pid=40686---036---image
 
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You can't tell me a duck hunter is enjoying himself when he has to stare out at Clorox bottles


Shoot Jeff, I thought you were going to tell us a story about taking someone on a sea duck hunt.

 
Good morning, Jeff~


Thanks so much for posting that article. As it happens, I recall it from when it first appeared. I was 14 or 15 then - a subscriber to Sports Afield, but not Sports Illustrated. My older brother Ted was the sport fan, though, and did get SI.


At the time, I was hunting over my Dad's rigs - which included balsa Herter's (Model Canada), balsa and cork Wildfowlers (Superior and Atlantic Coast Models), foam Herter's (Models 72, 81 and 92) and a few assorted others. We almost always hunted from boats - so decoy weight was not a consideration. For a local spot, though, where we enjoyed brief walk-in hunts at either end of the day, my Dad had a pair of Model 72 Mallards tethered together and anchored by a single pyramid sinker.


Nevertheless, I was inspired by the Soule article. I later made a pair of standing cork Black Ducks - from Wiley cork. I still have them - but need to take some good photos.


As you know, I have restored scores of Bean's Coastals - and some Deluxe Oversize. I also had the opportunity to re-paint a few of these.



View attachment Beans Black Duck Feeder 01.JPG



BTW: I think the first Clorox bottles I remember where made of glass.... I just read that the first white plastic ones came on the scene in 1960. I had not yet carried a gun, but had been afield with my Dad for a couple of years by then. It's the same period when fibreglass boats were new and exciting!


All the best,


SJS



 
We hunted Long Island Sound for sea ducks with the guys from Mattituck for years. Built up four lines of famous clorox decoys. Each was set on a thin broomstick handle with a ring and clip on the ends. Each anchor line had a really large lobster pot buoy.
If we had to leave because of seas, we wouldn't be out much. To be young again.
 

Waterfowling has pretty much consumed most of my life, but Gawd how I enjoy deer hunting. On the ground, not in treestands... ever.

Not sure if "action" means seeing game, or shooting, in yer new friends case. In my world the "action" begins the minute I begin a hunt, no matter what type of hunting.


I graduated high school in 1968, and do recall Mr. Soules article. Was some years later that the boxes arrived from LL. Bean, with Coastal Mallards, and Canada geese. Still got em, and once and awhile they still see action.


I also thought "Clorox bottles" was gonna be about Sea Ducks, or layout shooting.

At the old Ohio show I'd spend lotta time hanging out with Paul Busick (a fine decoy carver and layout boat builder). More than once I heard him say, "Hell ducks toll fine to flat black painted Clorox Bottles." So when I hear, or read that, it puts a smile on my face, cuz Mr. Busick IS a character, with character.


Watching wood, cork, and canvas covered decoys bob around on a slow day is very rewarding. But when the action gets hot and heavy it really don't matter all that much, until afterwards. Then it's Big Smiles. [smile]


I hope that you and your new friend have many a good day outdoors in the future.


Best regards
Vince
 
I know a few hunters that still have a rig of Clorox jugs.
When the ice in the river gets bad out come the jugs.
Its a lot easier on the wallet watching the ice take you jugs down the river and over the falls.
I have friends that end up driving along the lower river all day long looking for their decoys.
 
I used to hunt Champlain a lot and one of my hunting partners bought a rig of carrylite whistlers and was all excited to use them. We were sitting in our rock blind discussing the relative merits of cork vs. plastic when an eagle came down and picked up one of his decoys. This, he exclaimed, was the empirical truth that plastic decoys were superior to cork. (He was a Princeton man). I replied, "we're not hunting frikkin eagles"...

My best friend, who introduced me to duck hunting, had an old guy he did work for in Duxbury, MA. This guy used to hunt brant, geese and blacks on the sand flats in Duxbury bay. His decoys were black painted, inflated rubber bags that were stuck into the sand with dowels. It worked amazingly well.
 
Those are nice. I believe that Soule was also making his own decoys after he left Beans, and some of those are on the market now. It's confusing for sure.

All of them work, but the older decoys from when or soon after Soule was involved have a lot better fit and finish.
 
I grouse hunted once upon a time with George Soule. As a very long time bird hunter with English setters, it really wasn't my cup of tea - he would post me at the edge of little postage stamp covers, and he and his Amer. water spaniel would traipse on through, hoping to flush birds my way. At least I was often looking out at the Bay. He was fun to be around. It had to be at least 30 years ago, so memories are fuzzy....I don't remember whether it was a shop or just his garage, but he was keen to show me what he termed was the first kevlar canoe ever built. He took a 2lb. ball peen hammer and wailed on the hull, and the hammer just bounced off. Was very cool.

He also told me a story about the fact that, leaving a bank with some cash out, his water spaniel ate a big bill. It was fun hearing him describe how he had to wait around to "recover" the bill.

It was neat being around him, doubly so since he was almost smaller than me.

Not with George, but with the director of ll bean's security, I got to hunt out of ll's personal blind in Casco Bay. Sadly, he admits with a red face, I did knock down a sheldrake, an ignoble moment in a place so steeped in history.

Gary
 
Gary Tanner said:
I grouse hunted once upon a time with George Soule. As a very long time bird hunter with English setters, it really wasn't my cup of tea - he would post me at the edge of little postage stamp covers, and he and his Amer. water spaniel would traipse on through, hoping to flush birds my way. At least I was often looking out at the Bay. He was fun to be around. It had to be at least 30 years ago, so memories are fuzzy....I don't remember whether it was a shop or just his garage, but he was keen to show me what he termed was the first kevlar canoe ever built. He took a 2lb. ball peen hammer and wailed on the hull, and the hammer just bounced off. Was very cool.

He also told me a story about the fact that, leaving a bank with some cash out, his water spaniel ate a big bill. It was fun hearing him describe how he had to wait around to "recover" the bill.

It was neat being around him, doubly so since he was almost smaller than me.

Not with George, but with the director of ll bean's security, I got to hunt out of ll's personal blind in Casco Bay. Sadly, he admits with a red face, I did knock down a sheldrake, an ignoble moment in a place so steeped in history.

Gary
Click to expand...



Now that is what ya call a darn good story, and some history worth sharing.

Also a fine example of why we need Duckboats to stick around, as long as possible.

Thanks Mr. Tanner.


Best regards
Vince
 
Gary, I never hear the term sheldrake here. That's a lawn dart--or in the local vernacular, lawn daaht. Had a near miss on one today. The only non-bufflehead that came anywhere near our decoys, and my twitchy brain said, "Finally a big duck!" Fortunately the lizard brain that controls the trigger finger realized the mistake and prevented the shot.

Your description of the upland hunting with Soule is funny. I grew up hunting over flushing dogs, and was somewhat converted by friends with pointers in recent years. This fall I go the chance to hunt over a birdy young spring spaniel, pushing though those postage stamp covers and flushing wood cock and the occasional partridge. It was like going back home.

I know the pointing dog fans will never agree, but hunting over a good flushing dog in the kind of thick cover that really favors them is heaven to me.
 
PS If you can share, I'd like to know where that blind is or was. There is a hell of a nice duck blind on the channel between Birch and White Islands that has been there for a long time and is a lot nicer than the standard Maine brush blind or plywood box. I've always wondered who that belonged to. Nice comfortable blinds are not standard up here.
 
Jeff Reardon said:
I know the pointing dog fans will never agree, but hunting over a good flushing dog in the kind of thick cover that really favors them is heaven to me.
Click to expand...

I would have to agree. I love my setter but for the thick and nasty stuff, Drake and Mike were kings.
 
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